As promised, Posts of the Week is back! Enjoy these gems from all over the blogging world. :) Restructuring Dating: Part 4 by Chard. T...

As promised, Posts of the Week is back! Enjoy these gems from all over the blogging world. :)

Restructuring Dating: Part 4 by Chard. The end of an amazing series on, obviously, dating. The whole thing is a must-read for anyone in or considering a dating relationship, but this one in particular is very, very good.

Started byKate from Majestic Golden Rose, it’s kind of like the Teens Can Write Too blog chain: she gives us a question, we pick a date and we answer. Obviously, today is my date, and this month’s question is all about my favorite things in all the stories: The Beautiful Baby Charries!

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Though not necessarily the babies. Just, you know, characters in general.

Anywho, more specifically, her question was, “There are all sorts of characters that we create and read about, but like people in real life, we are only drawn to some. What makes you love or hate a character? What do you love about your favorite character(s)?”

This is a difficult question for me because I love all kinds of characters for all kinds of reasons, and because charries are baes and life. But because I do not have thirty million years to discuss my various loves, I decided to pick four: a character from a TV show, a character from a movie, a character from a book, and one of my own characters, then do my best to explain why I like each one of them.

Disclaimer: these are not necessarily my four favorite characters ever. I adore so many that deciding which ones to actually talk about was heart-wrenching, but I wanted to pick people that were somewhat different from each other, so we’d have a variety of characters to discuss.

So here we go:

Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars (also the movies, but I wanted to use another charrie for the movies, so... yeah.)

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YES, I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE BAE BEFORE. So I’lllink to that post here, and make this quick: Pre-Dark Side Anakin is perfection. Don’t let anybody tell you different, and let me tell you why.

Up until the whole turning to the Dark Side thing, Anakin had a sincerely good heart. I mean, he was a freaking soldier: he fought selflessly for the good and he consistently put thoughts of his own life aside to save other people. He was often sarcastic, but serious when needed; reckless, yes, but his plans–or lack thereof–often succeeded. He was caring, compassionate, fiercely loyal to family and friends, and did you see his face when Padme told him he was gonna be a dad?

rebloggy/tumblrHe also says that this is the happiest moment of his life. Just saying.

In conclusion, Anakin really was an amazing guy: a strong character, a fierce fighter, and a loyal friend. It’s why I love him, and how he turned to the Dark Side, I still don’t even get.

Pietro Maximoff from Age of Ultron

Obviously, there will be spoilers in this next part, but I have stuck to his character, kept most of the actual plot out, and there are no major reveals below.

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First things first, THAT SASS, THOUGH. Every line out of Pietro’s mouth was quotable. I mean, he barely spoke unless he had something sassy to say. Like he’d just be standing there, “Yeah, I’m cool, just kinda hanging out here,” and then it’d be like BOOM. SASS. IN YO FACE. This guy was flipping hysterical, almost every one of his lines made me laugh, and if a character can whip out that sassy sarcasm like he did and have me guffawing that hard (on the inside, cuz we were in a theater), they have officially won my heart.

Besides that though, Pietro was also a strong fighter. He was misled by, well, things and spoilers, but at his heart, I think he was a soldier just trying to protect his country and his family. Also... well, things and spoilers. I did promise.

Plus, there was his relationship with his sister. I talked about siblings a while back, and if I’d seen Age of Ultron then, these two would’ve definitely been on the list. I don’t think he told her he loved her once during the movie, but it was crystal clear in every one of their scenes. You could just feel the adorable wonderfulness of their siblingship (which is totally a thing) in every move they made.

To discuss him specifically, Pietro was very caring, somewhat protective, but at the same time, not overprotective. He never told her to step back from the fight, and he didn’t seem to doubt that she could handle herself (though he was ready to swoop in if the need arose).

So why I love Pietro: that sass and that love for his sister and his country. Also that accent. That freaking gorgeous accent.

Shaylinn is completely different from any character I’ve listed so far, and it’s not just because she’s a girl. Shaylinn is not sarcastic, and not in the most remote, far-off, almost inconceivable sense of the word is she sassy. She also doesn’t kick butt. Not once.

But I still love her, because in her own way, she’s a remarkably strong character. I don’t want to give spoilers if you haven’t read the series (though you must), but a lot of crap happens to Shaylinn, and none of it is her fault. Still, though, she wasn’t afraid to cry, though she got upset, though she often wondered why God let those things happen to her, her heart stayed strong. Not only did she cling to her Savior, she encouraged those around her, constantly pushing them to be better. Rather than focusing on herself and her rather large problems, she reached out and was always there for others. She didn’t just sit around because she didn’t have the skill to go out with the leaders, cause trouble for the government, and physically help with the resistance. Instead, she took a stand wherever she was and fought for the good her way. The books could not possibly have been the same without her.

Plus (spoilers for the romance), though she loved a certain character, once he repeatedly proved that she could not rely on him, she didn’t. She continued to love him, but she didn’t sit around sobbing, waiting for him to drag his dang butt back. She cried a bit, picked herself up, and moved on because ain’t nobody got time for that, and she had way more important matters to attend to. Shaylinn was capable of standing on her own, though she was willing to let the bae back if he pulled himself together.

So yeah, Shaylinn was cool. She proved that you do not have to be a butt-kicking queen to make an enormous difference in the lives of those around you.

And my own character: Fedora.

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Technically, Fedora is not all mine because I co-wrote her with Rebecca. But that’s okay because, for this one blog post, I am stealing her (and I hope Rebecca doesn’t mind).

Fedora’s another sassy one. Almost every line out of her mouth is hilarious (and I don’t feel like that’s tooting my own horn because I swear Fedora writes herself). Her go-to move is an eye roll, Sarcasm is her first language, and she too, don’t need no man (though they are convenient).

Another cool thing about Fedora is, though she can kick butt and hit a target better than many of the boys, her actual occupation is a healer. So yeah, she fights the battles, she beats the baddies, but her work’s not even done yet, cuz then she’s gotta go around patching people up, sewing things back together, fixing boo-boos, wiping tears... Well, she doesn’t actually wipe tears because she has a horrible bedside manner. Her reaction is normally more like, “Oh suck it up, it’s only a flesh wound!”

But anyway. You get the picture. She’s willing to break things apart, but what she actually loves is putting them back together.

Not that she’s reluctant to lead the resistance or anything.

Fedora also has OCD, which makes her character more intricate and interesting because, though she appears confident most of the time, OCD often has a person second-guessing themselves and everything around them. But, hard as it is, she fights past that to heal her people and, eventually, lead a resistance.

So yeah. Fedora’s cool because she’s a strong, sarcastic healer who’s just plain different from the norm.

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I think what I’ve found from this blog post is that my favorite characters are those who are strong. They don’t have to be physically strong, and they don’t have to ever kick butt; I just love characters who are capable of standing on their own in some way. Who won’t just lie down and take what hits them, but will stand up and fight back in the best way they know how. I love characters who love other people, even if it’s not in an obvious way, and who are willing to sacrifice their own happiness or comfort, willing to fight for everyone they love and everything they believe in.

So I guess that’s what I love about characters: strength and, cheesy as this might sound, love.

What do you love about characters? What do you think of the ones I mentioned? Comment me!

5:11 PM

Hey all! As you might've noticed from the title, I’m doing something a bit different today. This award isn’t exactly Posts of the Week,...

Hey all! As you might've noticed from the title, I’m doing something a bit different today. This award isn’t exactly Posts of the Week, but I was nominated by Mariella (thanks for that!), and at the end I’m going to share other people’s blogs, so I figured it was close enough.

And if it isn’t to you, well, we’ll be back to Posts of the Week next week. :)

Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.

Put the Award logo on your blog.

Answer the ten questions sent to you.

Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.

Nominate ten blogs.

To the questions!

What flowers would you absolutely need to have in a garden?

I’m actually not way into gardening. And I’ve never thought the great outdoors were all that great. So I guess my answer would be... any that are very low maintenance.

Have you traveled? Where to?

That depends on what you mean by traveled. I’ve lived in a few different US states, and have at least rode through almost every one on the east coast. The only ones I’ve stayed extended periods in, though, (meaning a few days or more) have been Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Florida, and Maryland. Possibly Georgia, too, but I'm not positive as that would've been when I was really little.

And no, there was no order to that list whatsoever.

Do you have pets? And if so, do they seem to have an attitude?

Haha, not currently, no. I used to have two dogs, but they didn’t really have attitudes. They were just normal, cute, little puppies who grew into normal, beautiful dogs: a terrier mutt and a toy poodle that was not a toy poodle because he got way bigger than a toy poodle was supposed to be.

I also had sea monkeys when I was like eight. And goldfish. All of them died.

Is there an album you’ve listened to so much that you memorized the lyrics?

And I’m just gonna stop now. You get the picture, I’m sure. I love music.

Any goals you want to reach this year?

Hmm, I haven’t thought about this much. I'm more of a daily goal person because it’s impossible to see how the whole year is gonna play out. But for the sake of this tag, let's say that by the end of the year, I want to have finished edits (again) on my main manuscript and started to query (again).

What’s the last book you read and enjoyed?

Looking at my bookshelf was a somewhat depressing affair, as I realized it’s been a while since I read a book I completely loved. Unless you count the Clone Wars comic I read yesterday. That was really good.

Before that, though, *goes to check Goodreads* Winter’s Child was probably the last one I thoroughly enjoyed, and I read that a month ago *cries*

Since then, all the books I’ve read haven’t necessarily been bad, but as far as books that I read and loved and cannot fault, Winter’s Child was the last one.

And a book you haven’t read, but want to?

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SEE MY MILE-LONG TO READ LIST? DO YOU???!!!

tumblr.comThis is legit, though.

Anyway. Let me see... I'll pick Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. Ally recommended it to me and it looks really good, but my library doesn’t have it so I'll have to wait until I have money for books. *cries again*

Which Hogwarts house do you belong to?

According to an online test, I’m a Gryffindor. But that is inaccurate because I am absolutely, positively, beyond the shadow of a doubt a Ravenclaw. Proof? While taking the test, I paused to analyze at least half the questions because they did not contain enough information for me to make a fully-informed decision.

So.

Do you keep a journal?

Yes! I've actually kept several off and on since I was about 6 years old, (not that anyone can read that handwriting), and I try to write as often as possible. Especially when something cool happens because, when the early 21st century is historical fiction, I want the record of my childhood saved for my children and their children to look back on.

Also, I want to remember what I was like when I was a kid. I think it'll be quite interesting in ten or twenty years.

Share one of your all-time favorite quotes.

Oh gosh, I love so many! But this one from Storyteller by Edward Myers is one of my favorites, because it literally describes how I feel about stories:

What exists in a story can be more real than what exists in the world.

*checks the checklist* Now it seems we’ve come to the nominating part of this award. Unfortunately, several of the people I would’ve nominated have already been nominated, but here’s as close as I can get: Bailey, Ally, Aimee, Keturah, Rebecca and Kathryn (they count for two right?), Ophelia, and Ciera.

Eight. So close, yet so far.

And here are your questions:

#1 If you were a superhero, what would your costume look like?

#2 When did you start writing?

#3 Other hobbies besides writing?

#4 Marvel or DC Comics?

#5 What’s your favorite character you’ve ever written?

#6 Favorite character you’ve ever read?

#7 Favorite food?

#8 Favorite TV show?

#9 Which District do you belong to?

#10 What’s your OTP? (and yes, you can only have ONE. MWAHAHAHA, yes I am evil!)

For all my other readers, pick two or three of the above questions and answer them in the comments! Can’t wait to hear from you all!

6:57 PM

Do you have a specific place for reading? Nah, I can read anywhere, but I normally do it in my bedroom. It’s the best because I have...

Do you have a specific place for reading?

Nah, I can read anywhere, but I normally do it in my bedroom. It’s the best because I have these two perfect little reading nooks: a daybed in front of a huge window, which catches the light just right on a sunny day; and a leather couch, again in a front of a window. The window by the couch doesn’t catch the light so well, but I have this little box beside the couch that acts as a perfect little table for holding snacks or coffee while I read.

Bookmark or Random Piece of Paper?

Nuff said, right? Though I often use library receipts to mark parts I want to reread. Simply because, if I have a lot of reread-pages, all those bookmarks would be too bulky for the book.

Can you stop anywhere in a book or do you have to finish the chapter?

Meh, I can stop anywhere. But normally, I do try to finish the chapter, or at least get to a paragraph that seems like a good ending point.

Music or TV while reading?

TV WHILE READING??? WHAT SACRILEGE! HOW COULD YOU?!

In other words, no.

As for the music thing, when I was about ten, I had this tape with a bunch of songs I’d heard on the radio and I’d put it on every time I picked up a book. At some point though, I just stopped doing that and I have no idea where that tape is now.

And yes, it was a tape. An actual tape. Like this, if any of you are too young to know.

Now, I almost never listen to music while reading, but it’s just because I don’t think to. *shrugs* Not because it’s SACRILEGE OR ANYTHING.

Ahem.

Do you eat or drink while reading?

(see the bit above about the nifty little box by the armchair)

Normally, I drink coffee. But I’ll often eat crackers, cookies, or any other snacks that happen to be available.

Ice cream is especially helpful during painful parts.

And I try so terribly hard not to get crumbs in the book, though I have found that if you stick the corner of a bookmark in and run it down the line between the pages, you’ll get most of those crumbs right out. So there’s your little tip for the day. ;)

One book at a time or several?

I try to do just one. But sometimes, it’s easier to do two because I know that if I don’t start the second one now, I never will, and, for whatever reason, I can’t wait till I finish the one I’m on. So yes, it depends, but I’d prefer not to have to.

Reading at home or elsewhere?

(again, see above answers)

Though, really, I can read anywhere. That’s why I take a book everywhere. You never know when you might have a convenient moment.

That said, besides my room, my favorite place to read is the car. I don’t know why, but I just love the feeling of travelling to another world (fantasy or contemporary) as I cruise on down the road. It’s just perfect, and part of the reason I’m not eager to get my driver’s license. Cuz, you know, reading and driving. Not really the best idea.

I also like eating in the car. Don’t know why, but I do.

Anywho.

Read out loud or silently?

Generally silently. Though if I’m having trouble concentrating (which can happen for various reasons: outside noises, inner confusion, and my possible-but-as-yet-undiagnosed ADD), I’ll often read out loud because actually hearing the words helps me to focus. Also, if I find something really deep or really funny, I read it a second time out loud. Don’t know why, but I like to.

Do you read ahead or skip pages?

Not really on the first one (who likes spoilers?) and never on the second one. However, I will scan pages if I’m getting bored and just want to get it overwith.

giphy.comAt least I don't react like Captain Picard.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Oh the indecision! I don’t like to break the spine because somewhere in my strange, twisted, writer’s mind, I feel like I’m hurting the book. At the same time, it is SO DANG DIFFICULT TO READ WHEN IT KEEPS CLOSING ON YOU. So it’s either my comfort or the book’s, and, as the book is an inanimate object, mine takes precedence.

So yes, I suppose my answer is break the spine. Because, it would seem, I am a little bit selfish.

Do you write in your books?

AGAIN WITH THE SACRILEGE????? WHY?!!

In other words, nope and never.

***

Well, that was amusing, lol. Thanks for tagging me, Heather! It was a ton of fun and as you said, reading is life! ;)

giphy.comHad to use this one somewhere ;)

So readers, tell me, what do you think of the booklover’s questionnaire? Pick one or two of the above questions and answer them for me in the comments!

Hiya!

Alexandria, better known as Alex or Alexa, is a strange Christian-fangirl-YA-writer medley tucked away in an undisclosed location in Virginia. She loves creating worlds out of keystrokes, discovering adorable ships (platonic or romantic), and becoming besties with clever characters who wow her with smarts and sass.